Former U.S. national team defender Jeff Agoos, a five-time champion in MLS, and former U.S. women’s national team defensive anchor, Joy Fawcett, were elected to the Soccer Hall of Fame on Thursday. Induction is Aug. 2 in Oneonta.

Jeff Agoos was a rugged defender with a good left foot.

Agoos, currently the Sporting Director of the New York Red Bulls, played 134 times for the U.S., second most ever and in two World Cups (1998 and 2002) and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He won MLS Cups with D.C. United and San Jose. He also was an NCAA champion in 1989 at the University of Virginia, which was then under coach Bruce Arena (top assistant, Brighton native Dave Sarachan, had left by then to build Cornell).

Fawcett was one of the women’s soccer pioneers, winning World Cups in 1991 and ’99, when Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Co. became household names. She also was on Olympic champions in 1996 and 2004, when Abby Wambach’s header in overtime delivered gold and a fitting way for the U.S. veterans to go out. She was a WUSA all-star in 2003 with San Diego and three-time All-America at UC-Berkeley.

Fawcett played a few times in Rochester. She was the U.S. player who already had become a Mom.

A total of 159 ballots were cast. Agoos was on 108 ballots (67.9 percent) and Fawcett on 106 ballots (66.7). A player must be selected on 66.7 to be elected. Here’s the other top 10 (Preki, Etcheverry and Valderrama “Mr Hair” should go in next, in my opinion):

A-ROD GOES FIRST: Amy Rodriguez, the U.S. national team forward who played well for last summer’s Olympic champions in the absence of the injured Wambach, was the first pick in today’s inaugural WPS Draft, which is going on as I write this. Click here for updates. She was taken by the Boston Breakers, who are coached by Tony DiCicco, the man who coached the 1999 World Cup champs for the U.S.

DEMA DEALT: Former Greece Arcadia High School and Indiana University star Dema Kovalenko was traded this week from Real Salt Lake to the L.A. Galaxy. Look at that Dema, now 31 (wow, how time flies), will be playing with Becks. The former MLS All-Star was traded for allocation money and a 2011 draft pick (how high depends on how much Kovalenko plays for the Galaxy). We’re working on getting Dema on Kick This! tomorrow but not having much luck so far.

Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis, he of the loose tongue from the 1999 Rhinos U.S. Open Cup run, said recently RSL figured Dema wouldn’t start next year and Kovalenko said “he wanted to go somewhere else,” Kreis told the Salt Lake Tribune. Dema goes from playing for Kreis to Bruce Arena. Good for Dema, huh?

This gets me thinking … Wambach lives near L.A. … now Dema will play there. I’m booking a flight to knock off two interviews with one trip (just kidding; I wish).

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Jeff DiVeronica has covered professional soccer and the Rhinos for the Democrat and Chronicle since the team's inception in 1996. "Devo's Direct Kicks" takes aim mostly at Rochester soccer, but will also highlight the USL, MLS and U.S. national team play. Devo, his nickname since college at St. John Fisher, also hosts two weekly radio shows each Saturday on WHTK-AM/FM (1280/107.3 or www.whtk.com). "Kick This!" (11 a.m.) features soccer talk, while the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show (noon) covers Section V sports. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.
Or follow him on Twitter: @RocDevo